1. Field of Use
This invention relates generally to wire cutting and stripping machines. In particular, it relates to a wire cutting and stripping blade tool holder which permits rapid changes thereon, including rapid changes of blades and distances between blades to effect stripping of various lengths of insulation from wire or cable ends.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic wire cutting and stripping machines are well known and when their blades are properly set up in the machine, provide rapid cutting and stripping of insulated wire of various diameters. However, in prior art machines such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,426 issued to Blaha on Oct. 21, 1975, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, the tool holders which engage the wire cutting and stripping blades make changes in the blades or the distances therebetween difficult and timeconsuming. In the prior art, the tool holders had to be removed from the machine. Each tool holder generally held three blades, two for stripping the wire ends and one between those two for cutting the wire. To change the length of insulation that the blades could strip from the wire, the blades had to be removed from the tool holder and spacers or shims holding the blades to the tool holder between adjacent blades would have to be repositioned or replaced. Even replacing a blade required loosening the shims while the tool holder was outside of the machine. Upon being loosened, the shims could fall from their tool holder before an operator could replace or reposition the blades, further inconveniencing and delaying him, and causing yet more downtime on the cutting and stripping machine.